Welt tempering machine



A. EPPLER 2,046,62

WELT TEMPERING MACHINE Filed Feb. 26, 1934 Patented June 30, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WELT TEMPERING MACHINE Application February 26, 1934, Serial No. 712,888

5 Claims.

The present invention relates to machines for applying moisture to welt employed in the manufacture of shoes.

According to previous practice, machines for moistening welt are provided with a moistening tank and a guide located at or below the level of the water or other liquid in the tank for insuring that the welt is brought into direct contact with the water to moisten the welt to the desired extent. Such an arrangement tends to moisten diiferent parts of the welt unequally, particularly when any portion is left submerged in the water for a long period of time. Due to the nature of welt sewing operations, the welt is not drawn continuously, so that between operations when a portion of the welt is left stationary in the water tank, a much larger supply of water is absorbed. The welt is thereby softened or caused to swell in an irregular manner, resulting in difficult sewing and imperfect work.

The objects of the present invention are to provide a novel and improved welt tempering machine in which limited quantities of liquid are applied to the welt in such a way that even though the welt is held stationary for an indefinite time, no more than the desired quantity of liquid will be applied to the welt.

With these and other objects in view, the

present invention contemplates the provision in a welt tempering machine having a tank containing a moistening liquid and guides out of contact with the liquid for directing the welt above the liquid, of means for raising a limited supply of the liquid above the level in the tank and rubbing it directly against one side of the welt throughout that portion of the welt intended to be moistened.

Other features of the invention consist of certain constructions, arrangements and combinations of parts hereinafter described and claimed, the advantages of which will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description.

In the drawing, Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation and partly in section of the machine embodying the features of the invention; Fig. 2 is a view in front elevation of the machine, partly in section, and broken away; Fig. 3 is a sectional View take along the line 33 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 4 is another sectional view of certain parts of the machine taken along the line 44 of Fig. 1.

In the illustrated machine, the welt extends from any suitable source of supply, over a guide roll It, through the machine, around a second guide roll l2, and. upwardly to the sewing or other machine with which the welt is to be employed. As the welt, illustrated at I4, is drawn upwardly, it is carried through the illustrated machine and the proper temper imparted.

The welt strip is not submerged or brought into direct engagement with the moistening liquid, but is conducted in a substantially horizontal direction from the guide roll 10, around the major part of a guide wheel [6, to the guide roll I 2. Beneath the guide wheel I6 there is provided a tank i8 in which is retained a supply of water. The water supply is kept at a substantially uniform level 29 by means of an inverted bottle 22 in which sufficient water is contained to supply the tank l8, and the tank is shaped with an annular shelf 24; for supporting the bottle in inverted position.

The tank is secured to the frame of the sewing or other machine and carries a supporting bracket 26 for the rolls H], [2 and I6, secured to the tank by one or more bolts 28 threaded into a thickened portion formed on one side of the tank. The bracket is so located that the wheel I6 is always above the level 20 of the water in the tank, thus preventing direct contact of the welt carried by the roll with the water or the wheel I6 from carrying water to the welt.

In order to raise limited quantities of water from the level 20 to the lower surface of the welt strip l4, there is provided in the illustrated embodiment of the invention a circular bristle brush 30 fixed to one end of a. horizontal shaft 32 rotatably mounted in the lower end of a double framed lever 34, the arrangement being such that the major portion of the brush is submerged below the Water level in the tank. The lever 34 is fulcrumed on a stud 36 secured by a set screw 31 in a block 38 mounted on the front side of the water tank 18. When the welt is withdrawn from the machine, rotation imparted to the guide wheel l6 causes the brush 33 to rotate and apply the water adhering to the bristles which project above the water level continuously to the lower surface of the welt with a rubbing action.

The shaft 32, on which the circular brush 3!] is mounted, is rotated by a gear 40 fixed to the shaft, an idler gear 42 rotatably mounted at one end of the stud 36 on which the lever 34 is fulcrumed, and a gear wheel 44 secured to one end of a shaft 46 rotatable in the bracket 26. The guide wheel I 6 is secured to the other end of the shaft 46, thus preventing displacement of the shaft from its bearing in the bracket 26. The gearing between the shafts 32 and 46 acts when the guide wheel I6 is rotated to move the pe- I V of the brush 3!! against the welt, the brush may crums. The'pin 48 carries a pair of springs 50,

The water applied to the welt is governed by... the amount which adheres to the bristles of the brush 3!], the pressure with whichthebrush engages the welt, and the extent of area of I the welt strip covered by the brush. When movements of thewelt and brush 30stop, the water that is already applied to the welt is absorbed and the remainder flows, downwardly, along ,the, It bristles to the level 20 of the water, sothatre- V gardless of how long the welt remains stationary;

nowater will be absorbed more than that which was originally applied to the welt. When the welt is again withdrawn, a further supply of water is raised from the level 28 and appliedto an area of the welt overlapping that already moistened on account of rotating the brush 30 faster than'the wheel It, thus ensuring that the proper minimum supply of water will be furnishedthroughout the length of the welt.

To provide a uniform predetermined pressure be moved towards and from engagement with that portion of the welt which is carried by the lowermost'part of the guide wheel 16. The shaft 32 on which the wheel 38 is mounted is raised and lowered by rotating the lever 34 about the stud 36. To regulate the degree of pressure of the brush 30, the upper end of the lever 34 is slotted andsurrounds a pin 48 secured at its lower end to the, block 38 on which the lever fulone above and one'below the slotted upper end r of the lever 34, and these springs may be compressed as desired by athumb nut 52 threaded on the upper end of the pin, ,By screwing down the thumbnut 52, the pressure of the brush 30 against the welt may be increased to, the desired amount. 7 Q 7 Preferably, the welt I4 is so threaded through .the machine, that the brush will engage the groove, indicated at 54, ordinarily provided in the flesh surface of the welt. The brush may be made to engage the entire flesh surface of the welt or only a'small area surrounding the. groove 54, To regulate the extent of welt area engaged by the brush, the block 38 supporting the lever 34 maybe shifted laterally of the welt. For this purpose the block 38 is suitably formed .to surround the upper edge of the tank and a thumb screw 56 is provided having a threaded engage ment with the block to be clamped against the edge of the tank. r

The weltis caused to occupy a predetermined position on the guide wheel lfi'by providing a radial flange'portion 58 on one side of the wheel,

and correspondingly shaped flange portions 60 on the guide rolls l0 and E2 to engage the welt along the {edge opposite that engaged by the flange 58 on the guide wheel I 6. When different widths of welt are employed, the guide rolls l0 and I2 may be shifted in the direction of their axes by rotation of a hand wheel 62 on the opposite side of the bracket 26 from the rolls Ill and,

12. The guide rolls are supported on a 'U-shaped member 64. the parallel portionsof which pass rwith the bracket 23.

horizontally through spaced openings in the bracket and are formed at their ends with journals for the guide rolls [0 and 2. The guide rolls are secured against axial movement at'the ends of the U-shaped member by shoulders formed on the member and by nuts 66 at the extreme ends of the member. Rotating the hand wheel 52 produces relative movement between the bracket 26 and the U-shaped member through a shaft 58 on which the hand wheel is mounted having a screw threaded engagement The shaft; 68 also passes through an" opening in the central part of the ueshaped member 64, and causes the member to be shifted when the shaft is rotated by the en- 1 gagement of;a collar 10 at one side and of the hand wheel '62 at the other side of the member.

Havmg thus described an embodiment of the invention, What is claimed is:

'1. A 'welt tempering machine having, in combination, a tank for holding liquid; below a predetermined level, a rotatable wheellocated entirely out of contact with the liquid in the tank for guiding by engagement with one side only a strip of welt above the liquid level, a shaft, a

rotary brush on the shaft having a substantial portion of its periphery submergedin the liquid and arranged to engage that portion of the welt carried by the guide wheel, and gearing between the guide wheel and the brush for rotating continuously the brush at aperipheral speed higher than that of the welt on the guide wheel as the welt is withdrawn.

2. A'welt tempering machine having, incom bination, a tank for holding liquid below a predetermined level, a rotatable. wheel located en tirely out of contact with the liquid in thetank for guiding, by engagement withone side only, 7

a strip of welt above the liquid level, a shaft, a

rotary brush on the shaft having a substantial portion of its periphery submerged in the liquid and arranged to engage that portion of the welt carried by the guide wheel, gearing comprising an intermediate idler between the guide wheel and the brush for rotating the peripheral portion 45;-

of the brush with a continuous rubbing action against the welt as the welt is withdrawn, and a lever fulcrumed concentrically with the idler for Supporting the brush shaft to'permit adjust- ,ment of brush pressure against the welt carried by the guide wheel. I y a 3. A welt tempering machine having, in combination, a;tank;for holding liquid below a'predetermined level, a rotatable wheel located en tirely out of contact with the liquid in the tank for guiding by engagement withoneside only,

a strip of welt above the liquid level, a shaft, a

a flange for guiding oneedge of a welt strip'in engagement with the wheel, a brush actuated; from the guide wheel as the welt is withdrawn for applying a limited quantity of the liquid with, acontinuous rubbing action against one side of the welt along the portion engaged by the guide.

wheel, additional guiding means adjustable towards and from the other edge of the welt before and after it is carried. to the guiding wheel for preventing displacement of the first welt edge from the flange on the wheel, and a single regulating means for changing the positions of the guiding means transversely of the welt.

5. A welt tempering machine having, in combination, a tank for holding liquid at predetermined level, a rotatable wheel formed with a flange for guiding one edge of a welt strip in engagement with the wheel, a brush actuated from the guide wheel as the welt is withdrawn for applying a limited quantity of the liquid with a continuous rubbing action against one side of the welt along the portion engaged by the guide wheel, guide rolls having flanges engaging the other edge of the welt before and after it is carried to the guiding wheel to prevent displacement of said first edge of the welt from the flange on said wheel and a single regulating device for simultaneously changing the positions of the guide rolls transversely of the welt.

ANDREW EPPLER. 

